Step 1

Heat oven to 475ºF.

Step 2

Spread the cabbage wedges out onto a large sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat, then spread back into a single layer. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until it’s browned and crisped around the edges and slightly softened in the center. Note: don’t be alarmed if you see extra-charred bits—this is going to happen, and some of the extra-crispy bits may be inedible. What you don’t want to happen is have the cabbage not be all the way cooked through. Plus, the perfectly bronzy bits are so, so good.

Step 3

Sprinkle the saba or vinegar over the cabbage and toss lightly to season them, trying to keep them intact.

Step 4

While the cabbage is roasting, put the garlic in a small bowl and pour on the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the walnuts, bread crumbs, parmesan, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and adjust the seasoning to taste.The texture is supposed to be like a “loose, sloppy salsa,” and to achieve this, you may need to add more lemon and olive oil. Both times I’ve made this, I’ve ended up using all of the lemon juice (so about 3 tablespoons total), and 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Also, the mixture itself may taste quite lemony and maybe a little salty … this is OK—when it hits the sweet cabbage, the sharp flavors will soften.

Step 5

Arrange the cabbage wedges on a platter. Spoon some of the walnut salsa over top—keep the extra handy in a small bowl at the table…you’ll want more with every bite. Grate a little more parmesan over top. If you wish, drizzle on more saba (or balsamic) or lemon.